Johannesburg: Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela has called on business, labour, civil society, and government to work together to transform the country’s skills base, create jobs, drive economic transformation, and build a capable state that can meet the demands of a changing workforce. He stressed that in the State of the Nation Address earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa was unambiguous: human capital development is the central national priority of this administration.
According to South African Government News Agency, while addressing delegates at the 5th Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Summit in Johannesburg, Minister Manamela stated that the skills revolution should be a national compact. He emphasized that if the initiative remains solely a government project, it would achieve limited success. However, if it becomes a shared responsibility with public accountability, substantial change becomes possible.
With the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs, skills required, and productivity. The Minister highlighted evidence from the World Economic Forum and leading institutions about the scale of this disruption, which exceeds the preparedness of most skills systems globally. He noted that the Just Energy Transition is creating new demand for roles in sectors that have evolved significantly over the past five years.
The HRDC Summit launched the Reconceptualised Human Resource Development Strategy (HRD Strategy) 2025-2035 and its implementation framework, the Master Skills Plan (MSP) 2025-2030, under the theme ‘Living and Working in a Changing World.’ These strategies aim to reform the country’s skills development system, reduce unemployment, and align education with economic needs.
The new strategy sets forth four catalytic goals: improving early learning and schooling outcomes, enhancing the employability of youth through short courses and entrepreneurship, improving post-school education responsiveness to emerging sector demands, and building a capable and ethical state. The Minister noted that while the national skills framework is comprehensive, effective governance is crucial for its success.
Minister Manamela highlighted governance issues, stating that institutions are not operating at the required level. He pointed out that while the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) system holds significant funds, their impact varies across sectors. He also expressed concern about the HRDC council’s role, describing it as a consultation forum rather than an accountability body.
Encouraging government collaboration with partners, the Minister stressed that the youth unemployment crisis is a structural issue that requires active participation from all sectors. He urged organized labour to view the Skills Revolution as a protective measure for workers, advocating for retraining and upskilling.
Minister Manamela concluded with a call to build accountability structures that ensure the strategy’s goals are realized beyond the Summit.
